Newton Flood 1904 Archives - Harvey County Historical Society

by Kristine Schmucker, Archivist/Curator

Previously posted August 8, 2013, No Place Like Newton, Even if it does have a Sand creek”: The 1904 Flood

“Sand Creek, the despised and ridiculed, spread over its banks and overflowed the north end, for once a raging, destruction dealing current.”

“The Flood-gates Were Opened”

Tuesday evening, May 31, 1904, a large crowd was enjoying a street concert in Newton. Everything came to an abrupt end when rain drops began to fall. The crowd and band quickly scattered, but not everyone reached a place of protection “when the heavy fall of rain came and scores were drenched.” The rain continued steadily the next morning, thoroughly saturating the ground. At about 3 o’clock in the afternoon, “the flood-gates were opened and the rain fell in torrents . . . it was a deluge. . . . For awhile, it was impossible to see the buildings on one side of Main street from the other, so heavy and dense was the falling moisture.” The system of sewers and the gutters was completely overwhelmed. The editors of the Evening Kansan-Republican felt confident to report that although Sand Creek was “way out of its banks” and streets were flooded the main “flood effects as usual were worst at the Third and Fifth street corners.”

Headlines from Evening Kansan-Republican, June 2, 1904

1904 Flood Newton
HCHM Photo Archives

The next edition of the Evening Kansan-Republican headlined with the statement that “Newtonians Have Never Thought Such a Flood as Yesterday’s Possible Here.”

“The unexpected has happened and Newton has had its first experience with flood conditions. During the floods that prevailed last spring in the eastern part of the state, Newtonians found satisfaction in the thought that their own town, of all others, was safe . . . being far from any river and apparently as high and dry as a town could be.” (Evening Kansan-Republican, June 3, 1904, p. 1)

Headlines from Evening Kansan-Republican
June 3, 1904

Devastation was everywhere. From four o’clock in the afternoon until after nine o’clock in the evening on June 2, 1904, “Sand creek, the despised and ridiculed, spread over its banks and overflowed the north end, for once a raging destruction-dealing current.” The worst flooding was roughly an area from the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks south to Main and Broadway and west to Sand Creek.

1904 Flood Newton
Jno. D. Riesen, photographer
HCHM Photo Archives

Bridges were washed away. The Tenth street bridge washed out and floated downstream striking the Ash street bridge. Both were a total loss. Also heavily damaged were the bridges on Main street and Broadway.

Many were unexpectedly trapped as their homes became islands because “it seemed so improbably that the water could possible reach to such a height.” Rescue workers with “hacks and wagons . . . rescue men on horses” all worked to get everyone to safety. In some places the water was so deep that it reached “almost to the horse’s head” and wagons could not be used.

Rescuers faced not only deep water and a swift current, but the hidden danger of “the barbed wire and the fences which they encountered.” One rescuer, Ben Mears, was in the water for an hour and a half. Another rescuer, Harry Howes later admitted that he was nearly overcome while rescuing a frightened child that had fallen out of a rescue boat. Howes swam to the boy and “held the boy above the water” with one hand until help arrived. The rescuer later noted that “he was not conscious of his actions or his words at that time.”

Those between the Missouri Pacific tracks and the Main street bridge were completely cut off. Most sought refuge at the home of Frank Wedel, which was the highest point in the area. At one point the flood water was almost to this point and people were frantic. Eventually the water receded and danger averted.

June 1904 Flood Bethel College
Graymaroon, Bethel College Yearbook, 1917
HCHM Photo Archives

Train service was also delayed, stranding passengers at Emporia and Strong City. Track washed out in several locations including between Peabody and Florence and a bridge was washed out at Cedar Point.

“Everybody has a story to tell:” Stories from the Flood

A good portion of the June 3, and June 4 Newton Evening Kansan Republican related stories of rescue and damage a few of which are included below.

“Such is the irony of fate that while there were many chickens and pigs drowned, one lot of pigs, which had been especially obnoxious to the neighbors were every one saved.”

“At Rev H.R. Voth’s home, No. 1211, the water was four inches above the lower floor. The carpets are ruined.”

“One of the worst sufferers was James J. Norton at No 1222 Main. Mr Norton had just moved into the house, having installed the last load of his goods at noon . . . yesterday. . . .Mr. Norton got the family out. The water rose nearly two feet in the house. Carpets and most of the furniture were ruined. Many pictures, books and other articles were piled on the floor temporarily which made the loss particularly severe.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Harry Trauber stayed in their house until late getting things out of danger and then waded in water waist high to dry land.”

“Mrs. Jackson staid [in her home] until the water oozed through the boards of the first floor as she walked over them. By that time the water around the house was very deep and the work of rescue was dangerous.”

In a June 6, 1904 editorial, S.R. Peters noted that “There is no place like home. No friends like home friends. No scenes like home scenes. No skies like Kansas skies. No place like Newton, even if it does have a Sand creek.”

Note: According to two “old settlers”, A.B. Gilbert and W. J. Puett, there had only been two other times Sand Creek had flooded to this extent – in 1877 and 1871 – based on their observations.

The flood on June 2, 1904 was the first major flood to occur in Newton. The rainfall, measured at 4.10,” came in a short amount of time. Primarily affecting the north end of town, flood waters got up to 12 feet. From 4 – 9 pm, the rescue efforts were underway and there was no loss of life.

“Worst Flooding in It’s History”

Roughly one month later, Harvey County was hit with another deluge. On July 6-7, the Little Arkansas River overflowed causing major flooding in Halstead and Sedgwick.

Halstead experienced perhaps it’s worst flooding to that date with the entire easter part of the town under water. According to reports it rained for 11 pm until 4 am dropping 3 1/4 inches. From the river past the Presbyterian church had depts of two to four feet. In front of the newspaper office, the water was 3 1/2 feet delaying the printing of the paper until the next day. Despite the trials in town, the farmers along the river were affected the most. It was noted that the river rose at the rate of 2 to 2 1/2 inches an hour from eleven o’clock but had decreased to 1/2 an inch by 2 pm. It was expected that the river could rise another 5-6 inches as a result of all of the rain up stream.

1904 Flood Halstead
HCHM Photo Archives

1904 Flood Alta Mill
HCHM Photo Archives

Sedgwick faired a bit better. By July 7, the flood waters had receded. Train service was greatly impacted with many bridges out. The weather system affected an area from Topeka to Wichita with “nearly every river in state flooding.”

Sedgwick Flood Photos July 6, 1904.

Sources

Evening Kansan-Republican, June 1, 1904.
Evening Kansan-Republican, June 2, 1904.
Evening Kansan-Republican, June 3, 1904.
Evening Kansan-Republican, June 6, 1904.
Evening Kansan-Republican, July 7, 1904.
City Directories: 1902-03; 1905.
HCHM Photo Archives

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

Evening Kansan Republican, 3 June 1904, p. 5.

There had been “excessive rainfall” throughout the spring of 1904. Sand Creek and its tributaries were full to there banks and an early morning shower on June 2 only added to the already saturated soil. Later, in the afternoon, the Harvey County experienced a “deluge” and the “water fell in torrents, the streets were rivers of swiftly moving water.” Soon, Sand Creek was out of its banks, overflowing first at Main street in Newton. By late afternoon “the water began rushing in a huge stream through and under the Missouri Pacific bridge across Sand Creek east of Main Street and north of Twelfth, then swept diagonally across Thirteenth, Eleventh, Tenth and Ninth Streets.”

Newton Flood, June 2, 1904

The area north of east 10th and west 9th became a “great lake.” The worst of the flooding occurred between four o’clock in the afternoon and nine o’clock in the evening of June 2. This was Newton’s first experience with a major flood. The next day the Evening Kansan Republican reported on the rescue efforts and damage caused by the flood.

Flood damage to a Newton bridge, 2 June 1904.

Newton Flood, June 2, 1904.

“Many Heroes Develop”

“Women showed no hesitancy about mounting the horses astride. they were too glad to get out, wet and bedraggled, but alive.”

A crowd gathered at 10th and Main to assist those coming to safety.

“As a wagon would come out of the flood with a load of men, women and children, wet bedraggled and not infrequently crouching . . . in fear. Willing hands would assist them to the ground and lead them to nearby homes where they could be supplied with dry clothing and given temporary care and assistance.”

Sheriff C. D. Masters “did valiant service carrying many people out of danger on his back.” Henry and Leo Steinkirchner “won the admiration of the crowd” by using their horses to carry people to safety. Livery owners, H.M. Judkins and D.S. Welsh, brought wagons and hacks to help with the rescue efforts.

In one story related by the Evening Kansan Republican, a rescue boat capsized when a small child panicked. Through the efforts of several men, everyone was pulled from the cold flood waters, including the child. Throughout the rescue, the child’s mother was watching from an upstairs window unable to help. The men involved in the rescue efforts battled not only the swift, cold current, but unseen dangers of barbed wire and other debris. One rescuer, Harry Howe was “almost overcome and he admitted that he was not conscious of his actions or his words at the time.”

Newton Flood, June 2, 1904

Although there was a loss of property, no lives were lost in this devastating flood of 1904.

According to several “old settlers” there had been two other floods that may have been comparable to the June 2, 1904 flood. In 1877, the 9th street bridge was washed away during a flood, but little other damage. A rainy period, shortly after Newton was established in 1871, resulted in flooding. The old settlers recalled that at that time “the flats were not used for homes and there was not danger to life but the creek on North Main street was a mile wide” during that flood.

Sources:

Evening Kansan Republican: 1 June 1904, 3 June 1904, 4 June 1904, 6 June 1904, 15 June 1904, 18 June 1904, 29 June 1904.
Wichita Beacon: 3 June 1904.

Newton Flood 1904

The Unexpected Has Happened: Floods of 1904.